Seam-dampener.



iNo. 734,000. PATBNTED JULY 21', 1.903.

w. H. RIGKBY.

SEAM DAMPENER.

4APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 1902. 'H0 MODEL. B

UNITED STATE-s Patented July 21, 1903.

PATENT OEEICE.

s EAIVL-V DAMEE N E n.'

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetteI-s Patent No. 734,000, dated July 21, 1903. Application filed February 17, 179Q2l Serial No. 94,402. (No model.)

To all whom rlmay concern,.-

Be it Aknown that I; WILLIAM HENRY RIOKEY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of East Orange,vin the county of 'Es-l sex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seam-Dampeners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to laundry machinery, more especially to the class known as seamdampeners.

The object of my invention is to furnish an improved device by means of which the portions of collars, cui's, dac., that are to be folded over can be dampened and turned with out breaking the edge at the fold-line. It is necessary in the handling of such goods that the portion at the fold-line should be moistened with some liquid, generally water. The liquid can be used either cold or. warm; butit is found in practice that warm liquid'will act more thoroughly and quickly onthe starched article than will the cold liquid. I have therefore devised an improved means of heating the liquid before it reaches the starch and have set forth the Various arrangements in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a vertical section through the principal parts of the machine; Fig. 2, a vertical section of theliquid-distributer, taken at right angles to Fig.l l;Fig. 3, a vertical section of a modified Vform of distributer having one chamber and employinga porous material in contact with the goods to be dampened, and Fig. 4 a detail section of a modiiication of the liquid-heating means.l

Referring to the drawings, A is a receptacle for holding the moisteniug liquid D; B, a funnel for pouring in the liquid, and it is pro-L vided at its base with a strainer- C.

valve F.

G is the liquid-distributor. H is a yielding-support situated below the distributer Gf The same has been shownas a grooved wheel rotatably mounted 'ou the endof the weighted lever I, pivoted at K to the stand M, which supports the various parts of the machine. L is a drip-pan for receivingr the superfluous liquid, that can be reused, if desired.

O is a bracket detachably connected to the frame M and supporting the Bunsen burner R, provided with the air-inlet S and the nipple P, to which the gas-pipe is attached.

Q is the heatingspassage for warming the liquid D.

In Fig. et the heating-passage Qis shown as extending through the top ofthe receptacle A.

o, is asmallpassage controlled by the needle-valve F and supplying the liquid D to the distributing-chambers o and h. From the distributing-chambers the liquid is `led by means of small channels d to the goods which are to be moistened. This distributing attachment may have a single distributing-chamber, Fig. '3, or a secondrlower one, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The dampeningsurface may be metal f, Figs. l and 2, or felt or other soft absorbent material, as shown at f', Fig. 3. This latter felt attachment is rendered necessary when the goods in question are of a delicate nature and too thin to permit a direct contactwith the flow of Water, since that would moisten them too much, and the upperA and lower folds becoming moistened would ruin them.

The operationv of my devicek is easily seen from the drawings. through the funnel B `into thereceptacle A, being freed from injurious foreign matter by the strainer C. The heating of the liquid is brought about by lighting the Bunsen burner and directing the flame through the channel Q. When ready for use, the needle-valve is raised and the liquid passes into the distribming-chamber, whence it goes, by means of the passages d, into the second chamber or tothe absorbent material f. It'thedevice has a second chamber, two "series of passages carry the liquid to the dampening-siirface.

The heavy pivoted lever. I- assures automatically a regular and constant pressure against the goods and this in turn against the grooved The liquid is poured in,

dampening-surface above, and thereby I attain an even amount of dampening on all the goods passed through the machine.

The advantages of a series of liquid-conveying passages overa single hole are apparent. The distributingchambers are to make sure of always having a regular and constant supply of liquid delivered through the dampening-channels. Thedistributingchambers and channels act as a reservoir and will alwaysbefullofliquid. Theywillconsequently not be alected by. slight variations in the flow of liquid from the receptacle A-that is to say, while the device is in operation a certain amount of liquid is being delivered from the dampening-surface onto the goods. If the tlow of liquid from the receptacle A to the distributer is not snfticient to supply the immediate demand, it will not aect the action of the device, as a suicient quantity exists in the distributer to dampen the article which is for the time being dampened. There will always be suflicient liquid in the distributing chambers and channels, and an accurate adjustment of needle-valve is not an essential feature. While the operator is preparing a new piece of goods these chambers and the passages are being refilled with liquid, and thus an even dampening is assured.

Having thus fully described and illustrated my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a seam-dampener, the combination with a fixed dampening-surface, of a lever having one arm weighted, and a support for the goods located beneath said dampeningsurface, mounted on the unweighted arm of said lever, and normally urged thereby toward said dampening-surface.

2. In a scam-dampener, the combination with a fixed dampening-surface, of a rotary wheel, constituting a support for the goods, located beneath said dam pening-surface, the said support being movably mounted and normally urged upwardly with a constant yielding pressure.

3. In a seam-dampener, the combination with a fixed dampening-surface, of a lever having one arm weighted, and a rotary wheel, constituting a support for the goods, located beneath said dampening-surface and mounted for rotation on the unweighted arm of said lever.

4. In a seam-dampener, a liquid-distributer having a dampening-surface at its discharge end, and having a plurality of distributing-chambers therein, with separated ports leading from one of said chambers to diferent points in the other and with separated ports leading from the lower distributing-chamber to different points along said dalnpening-surface.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 13th day of February, A. D. 1902.

WILLIAM HENRY RICKEY.

Witnesses:

A. H. FREEPORT, A. STETSON. 

